Final Goodbyes
by MegaOtaku777
Summary: What really happened behind the scenes? What was Axel thinking as Roxas was being absorbed by Sora? WHy was he trying so hard to get rid of Sora? Your answers are inside this story.


Axel laughed, his whole body shaking. "You really had me convinced there, kid," he said softly. "But here's the thing." He sobered up, looking the small, blond boy in the face. So many times he had stared into those blue eyes, ran his hand through those golden locks…but those were different times. Axel had a mission: protect Roxas from Diz at all costs. "You see, my superiors will get rid of me if I fail to do my job, and that's to bring you back with me, dead or alive."

That part wasn't a lie; Xemnas had told him that he was to bring the boy back to Castle Oblivion. But the red-haired man had no intention of doing that. His plan was to take Roxas away, that part was true. But he was never going to let the Organization get their hands on him. He was going to take him to a safe place, where he could regain his memory slowly, comfortably. Unfortunately, the Organization had placed a recorder on his uniform lapel, so he couldn't explain the situation while they were listening. And if he took it off, they would know something was up. He would just have to wait until they were alone.

But, even before he raised his chakrams, Axel knew something was wrong. His limbs were slowing down, and everything seemed to move in slow-motion. Before he knew it, his arms froze in place, his whole body rigid, his red eyes not even able to blink. _'Diz,'_ he thought bitterly. The old man with belts for a face was the only one Axel knew who could do something like that. But the old man's time spell wasn't terribly strong. For even though he couldn't make a move toward his only true friend, the ginger man could still see what was going on.

And he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Axel saw Roxas run, leaving the older man in the alley. Axel wished with all his being that he could do something, somehow, to stop his love, but it was no use. Diz's spell might not have been very strong, but it wasn't weak enough to let its grip loosen. Axel stood there, frozen and petrified, as the only person who ever paid him any attention turned and ran toward his doom. Axel knew that Roxas would disappear if he went to the Mansion; he would fall right into Diz's hands, and be gone forever. But there was nothing he could do about it. Axel finally wrestled himself out of the spell after Roxas had disappeared from sight.

"The Roxas I know is long gone," he whispered, his voice filling with sadness. "Fine. I see how it is." He forced his tone to grow hard, even though he was breaking inside. _'I'll come back for you, kid,' _he thought to himself. _'Don't you worry.'_ But he already knew that his Roxas was lost. Diz would use him to awaken Sora, and then Roxas would be no more. The ginger man dismissed the dancing Nobodies by his side and left the alley, his arms hanging loosely by his sides in defeat.

'_I didn't even get to say goodbye…just like last time…'_

Axle remembered when Roxas left the Organization. The boy had told him that no one would miss him if he left; that no one would pay attention to his disappearance. Axel knew that Roxas had been lying; the blond boy was his whole world, and when he walked away, Axel felt as if it was the end. And when Roxas had run away just then, it felt like his whole universe had collapsed. And now, it was over. He would never see Roxas again.

Axel wasn't ready to give in, though. He thought that his heart wouldn't let him abandon his friend, but he reminded himself that he didn't have a heart. Even so, something compelled him to follow the boy to the Mansion at the edge of town. But what he saw was less than pleasant. Roxas had somehow figured out the code used to break into the downstairs lab. _'Stupid kid…'_ he growled, racing down towards the sounds of a battle.

But even before he rounded the corner, something stopped him. He could feel…fire. And not just any fire. It felt like _his_ fire, the fire he controlled. He ran into the room, stopping short. What he saw was…himself fighting Roxas. They were surrounded by a ring of flame, an imposter throwing himself violently at Roxas. Flames were erupting everywhere, lapping at his friend's pale skin. In Roxas's hands were two keyblades, both twirling and flying though the air, striking the imposter over and over again.

But what worried Axel was that Roxas was losing. Ever so slightly, the other Axel was pushing Roxas into a corner, ever closer to the fire. Axel rushed forward, charged through the wall of flame, and stuck his chakrams through the copy's back. As the form shimmered and vanished, leaving him face to face with his friend, Roxas stood quickly, bringing down both keyblades across Axel's chest.

Axel fell to the floor, staring at Roxas in disbelief. The fire disappeared, leaving the room as peaceful as it was before the whole thing happened. _'He didn't know it was me…'_ Axel told himself, trying to quell the emotional and physical pain. A river of blood had started to run down his front, but he ignored it. _'He thought it was the copy…it's not his fault…' _Axel looked up, facing the small boy in front of him. He was panting, the two keyblades gone from his shaking hands. In his eyes, Roxas seemed to realize what they had been before his memory was lost. Even so, what Roxas saw before him wasn't a man who had comforted him during thunder storms or let him win at poker; he saw someone who had attacked him. And that was understandable.

"Let's meet again, in the next life," Axel panted, the wound sucking the energy from his body. The blood was already stopping and the skin was closing up, but it still stung.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting," Roxas replied, giving Axel the smile he loved so much.

"Silly," he said, sounding a little bitter. "Just because you have a next life—" He stopped talking, feeling the familiar pull of his Superior calling him back to the Castle. As the dark surrounded him, he took one last, long look at the blond boy. Deep within him, he longed to hold him again, like he did in the old days. Of course, that wasn't possible. Not only was he incapable of standing, but Roxas would just push him away.

And that hurt more than the wound on his chest.

A bright light flashed in front of Axel, and he found he was in the main room of the Castle. The white walls glared at him with a bright intensity, as if they were punishing him for straying from his mission. He peered up in to the blank face of Xemnas and the sneering one of Xigbar.

"What do we have here?" the sniper jeered. "Where's the boy, huh?"

"Enough, Xigbar," Xemnas said, shutting up the other man. "You are a disappointment, Axel," he said sadly, shaking his head slowly.

"I know," Axel said. Normally, he wouldn't submit. But then, he was feeling worse than he ever had. The only real friend he had just tried to kill him. Not to mention he couldn't even save him. Even now, Diz was probably having him absorbed by Sora…

"The guy's really broken up about this," Xigbar said. "Maybe we should let him say goodbye to the kid."

Axel almost gasped. Xigbar was never kind, especially to him. And Xemnas was even worse. Even so, his eyes filled with hope of being able to see Roxas one more time. "Maybe we should…" Xemnas replied thoughtfully. Ever so slowly, the sliver-haired man gave a slow nod, raising his hand. A pool of blackness opened up behind Axel, pulling him closer and nearer. Axel hurried toward it, not even paying attention to his wound. He didn't feel it anymore.

He stepped out of the black portal and into another stark white room. In the center was an egg-like thing, all closed up with a floating form inside. He recognized it as a sleeping-chamber, one of Naminé's inventions. He also knew the person inside was Sora. He would have gone after Sora and destroyed the person who would take his Roxas away, but he knew that Xemnas would kill both him and Roxas if that happened. Instead, he set about searching for his blond friend.

Unfortunately, he found him.

The boy was laying face-down on the ground in front of the sleeping-chamber, his body limp. Axel couldn't see any trace of movement coning from his chest. His feet stumbled forward, his eye wide in disbelief. He had seen Roxas alive and smiling not five minutes ago. To have the only person who cared about him ripped away…it was too much. Sobs were ripped from the man's throat as tears made their way down his face. He kneeled by Roxas, turning over his body and cradling his head in his lap. "Roxas, open your eyes! Please!" he pleaded. He had worked so hard and risked his life to bring Roxas back safely. And now, the boy whom he loved so much was in his arms, dying.

Roxas's eyes opened slowly, hazy and unfocused. "Axel…?" he asked weakly.

"Yes! Yes, I'm here. You don't have to worry, Roxas. I'll help you get better. You'll be just fine, wait and see…" Even to himself, Axel's voice sounded pathetic and flimsy. They both knew that Roxas wasn't going to make it out alive.

"I…remember…" Roxas breathed, his eyes growing heavy with every breath he struggled to take. "I…remember you…" Roxas's hand rose up to stroke Axel's tear-stained face. He pushed the red hair from his eyes, staring into the green orbs. "I…love…you…" Roxas whispered. His hand went limp, falling to the floor with a soft thud. His eyes clouded over, still staring Axel in the face. His breath left in a small whoosh, and he was still.

"Roxas…?" Axel whispered, not believing that he was dead. "Roxas!"Axel clutched the boy to him, rocking back and forth in despair. Tears fell to the floor, staining it a dark white. He didn't realize it, but the boy's body was disintegrating, falling apart and crumbling in his arms. In a few moments, all that was left was his clothes and the small, cloth rings he wore. Axle clutched these things to himself, a small thought forming in his mind.

'_It's all because of Sora. Sora's the reason that Roxas is gone; that I'm all alone. If I can get rid of him, maybe Roxas will come back…' _Axel didn't like the idea of killing the person that Roxas was now a part of, but now that Roxas was gone, he felt like he didn't have a choice. He stood up, determined to get his Roxas back, no matter what it took.

As he left the room, still holding the boy's clothes in his arms, he felt a small pain in his chest. _'I told you this would happen, Roxas…'_ he thought to himself. _'I do miss you…'_


End file.
